Pre-hospital policies for the care of patients with acute coronary syndromes in India: A policy document analysis

Amisha Patel, Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Mark Berendsen, P. P. Mohanan, Mark D. Huffman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background and objective Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in India. In high-income countries, pre-hospital systems of care have been developed to manage acute manifestations of ischemic heart disease, such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, it is unknown whether guidelines, policies, regulations, or laws exist to guide pre-hospital ACS care in India. We undertook a nation-wide document analysis to address this gap in knowledge. Methods and results From November 2014 to May 2016, we searched for publicly available emergency care guidelines and legislation addressing pre-hospital ACS care in all 29 Indian states and 7 Union Territories via Internet search and direct correspondence. We found two documents addressing pre-hospital ACS care. Conclusion Though India has legislation mandating acute care for emergencies such as trauma, regulations or laws to guide pre-hospital ACS care are largely absent. Policy makers urgently need to develop comprehensive, multi-stakeholder policies for pre-hospital emergency cardiovascular care in India.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S12-S19
JournalIndian Heart Journal
Volume69
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2017

Keywords

  • Acute coronary syndromes
  • Emergency
  • Guidelines
  • Healthcare infrastructure
  • Pre-hospital

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